Positively PhD – Page 3 – Snark on the Side

Submit Application?

PhD Applications Status – round 3 Submitted: 1 To go: 7 Map forthcoming. Submitting an application nine days before it is due seems so extravagant. And risky. Hitting the “submit” button is one of the most terrifying sensations in a graduate student’s life. That being said, graduate students need to acquire some perspective.

Let Me Give You One of My Cards

Tonight, I’m listening to Jimmy Stewart’s special narrative introduction to the movie Harvey. I’m getting ready to watch the movie, starring Stewart and Josephine Hull. He just used the phrase “squirmin’ in their seats.” I knew I loved this man. It’s also the perfect background noise for revising my statement of purpose and CV. JG:Continue reading “Let Me Give You One of My Cards”

Today’s Theme Song

Thousand-word Personal Statements If you miss the theme I’m on, you will know that I am goneYou can hear rejection’s “no” [from] a hundred miles,A hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles,You can hear rejection’s “no” [from] a hundred miles. Lord I’m one, Lord I’m two, Lord I’m three, Lord I’mContinue reading “Today’s Theme Song”

October’s Shadow

It’s October, one of my favorite months. The weather begins to turn crisp and cool, making me sneeze when I first step outside in the early morning. The leaves blush into sunset colors: reds, oranges, yellows. Pumpkins, squash, and apples claim space at the local farmers’ markets. The fair comes to town. Halloween is closeContinue reading “October’s Shadow”

300…Words

Part of my job this summer has been to write very concise pieces of text about major world events, such as the Cold War, the Renaissance, and the 14th century plague. The average word limit for the job? 300 words. Let’s try that again. Part of my My job this summer has been to writeContinue reading “300…Words”

Impending Epistles

Two days ago, I did a very strange thing. I started writing a personal statement for my PhD applications. It was incredible how quickly the sense of panic began creeping over my fingers, not unlike the cricket that skittered over my foot later that night. I can’t help wondering if the cricket was a personificationContinue reading “Impending Epistles”